Ten year old Miranda Googles the word ‘tobacco’. When the page opens on her tablet, she sees that there are a lot of references there. Old images show people with small, round, tubular objects between their lips called cigarettes. The pictures also show smoke coming from these objects. She wonders how people lived with tobacco in the past.

Imagine if our future generations learn about tobacco only from history books and museums!

Imagine if this scenario could be true. If our future generations learn about tobacco* only from history books and archives on Google!

Tell one person you don’t know that smoking in outdoor spaces closer than 6 metres to doors and windows is affecting the health of others. That within minutes of a few people smoking outdoors, the second-hand smoke concentration equals that of indoors.

Provide education and support about outdoor smoke- and vape-free spaces.

Check to see if your community has a bylaw that supports smoke- and vape-free outdoor spaces.

Currently, commercial tobacco use rates are about 20% in the north. We have a lot of work to do to help make commercial tobacco use history!

Let’s all work together to make Miranda’s experience a reality.

*In this story, as in most public health messages, “tobacco use” refers to the use of commercial tobacco products like cigarettes and chewing tobacco as opposed to traditional uses of tobacco. Northern Health supports the cultural and ceremonial uses of tobacco and recognizes that the benefits of traditional uses can outweigh the potential harms.

The 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George were smoke-free! What are your bold ideas to contribute to tobacco-free communities?

You probably have a friend or family member who has experienced one or more of the debilitating diseases caused by smoking or chewing tobacco.

Tobacco use* remains the leading cause of premature death in Canada and kills over 37,000 Canadians every year. Tobacco kills half the people who use it and is also harmful to the people breathing second-hand smoke.

Although there has been a significant reduction in tobacco use over the last several decades, 15 per cent of Canadians still smoke. In our northern communities, the rate is over 20 per cent. Even though everyone knows that smoking or chewing tobacco hurts our bodies, over 100,000 Canadians start smoking daily every year. Most of these are youth.

We need a bold, new approach to reduce the use of this deadly product!

In partnership with all Canadians, the Government of Canada has set a goal to reduce the rate of tobacco use to five per cent by 2035. You can help make this happen! Is there something that you can do in your community to help youth stay tobacco-free or to help current tobacco users reduce or quit? Let the government know!

Contribute to helping Canadians to lead healthier, tobacco-free lives! Take part in the consultations on the future of tobacco control in Canada.

*In this story, as in most public health messages, “tobacco use” refers to the use of commercial tobacco products like cigarettes and chewing tobacco as opposed to traditional uses of tobacco. Northern Health supports the cultural and ceremonial uses of tobacco and recognizes that the benefits of traditional uses can outweigh the potential harms.

Nancy is a registered nurse working in Northern Health’s population health team. She often imagines a day when no one in northern British Columbia suffers from the harmful effects of tobacco. In her time off, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially her two little grandchildren! Nancy also enjoys quilting, knitting, crocheting and many other home spun crafts.

This article was co-written by Nancy Viney (tobacco reduction, Northern Health), Rhya Hartley (City of Quesnel), and the Quesnel Healthier Community Committee. It was originally published in the Winter 2016 issue of Healthier You magazine.

The new smoke-free bylaw was promoted through the City’s Bylaw of the Month campaign.

Quesnel joined 59 other municipalities in B.C. who have a bylaw limiting where you can use tobacco in outdoor spaces. Although many municipalities have implemented smoking regulations, Quesnel and Dawson Creek are leaders in the north.

Why a bylaw to regulate smoking?

Quesnel supports healthy community initiatives for its residents! Through integrated processes like parks planning, active transportation planning, the recently adopted Living Wage Policy, and our active rebranding project, the City of Quesnel is positioning itself as a balanced, healthy community in which to live, work, and play. The new smoke-free bylaw and the work supported by the Partnering for Healthier Communities grant fits into this approach.

Exposure to second-hand smoke from burning tobacco products causes disease and premature death among non-smokers. Children are particularly vulnerable to second-hand smoke as they breathe faster and are exposed to even more smoke. The new bylaw reduces the harmful effects of tobacco smoke for the residents and visitors of Quesnel.

Supportive smoke-free environments help people who have quit using tobacco to remain steadfast and also encourage tobacco users to quit. Education today on the harmful effects of smoking and second-hand smoke is key to ensuring our children don’t start smoking and helps to make everyone aware of our environment.

The bylaw also helps reduce the amount of litter from butts and discarded cigarette packaging. Cigarette filters litter the ground and do not biodegrade. During the hot, dry summer months, smoke-free bylaws can also reduce the risk of fire from discarded matches and tobacco products.

As with any new initiative, there has been some push back and enforcement issues. To date, bylaw staff in Quesnel have addressed this with education and they will be transitioning to ticketing.

The City of Quesnel partnered with Northern Health and many other community stakeholders to form the Quesnel Healthier Community Committee in 2012. In 2016, this committee received a Partnering for Healthier Communities grant from Northern Health for their “Creating a Tobacco-Free Community” initiative. The committee resolved to use the grant funding for education and to purchase and install signage in strategic public areas. The committee decided that a sign that portrayed those most at risk from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke would move the focus to social conscience.

Nancy is a registered nurse working in Northern Health’s population health team. She often imagines a day when no one in northern British Columbia suffers from the harmful effects of tobacco. In her time off, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially her two little grandchildren! Nancy also enjoys quilting, knitting, crocheting and many other home spun crafts.

This article was co-written by Reg Wulff and Doreen Bond. Learn more about all of our contributors.

Did you read our last blog post about the rollout of Northern Health’s new and improved Smoke Free Grounds policy? Now that you’ve had a bit of time to think about it, it might seem like it’s all about telling people where they can’t smoke or use vapour products. However, the Smoke Free Grounds policy isn’t only about telling people that they can’t smoke on Northern Health property; it’s actually part of a bigger picture when it comes to Northern Health’s efforts to reduce tobacco use.

Northern Health is committed to addressing tobacco use as a standard of care. In addition to the Smoke Free Grounds policy, we’ve implemented three new clinical practice standards to give our nursing staff some tools to help tobacco users manage withdrawal symptoms and get support when it comes to quitting smoking. These standards are: Brief Intervention Training for nurses, the Nicotine Withdrawal Protocol, and the Registered Nurses Initiated Action.

What does this mean for you?

Using Brief Intervention, nurses can quickly identify patients who use tobacco. It helps nurses figure out who might need nicotine replacement therapy products such as the nicotine patch while in Northern Health facilities. Brief Intervention is very simple and it only takes a couple of minutes.

Then there’s the Nicotine Withdrawal Protocol and the Registered Nurses Initiated Action. I know they sound like fancy terms, but their purpose is quite simple: these two standards give nurses an opportunity to provide tobacco users with nicotine replacement therapy products for a short period until a doctor’s order can be obtained.

Going through nicotine withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable for a tobacco user. Providing a nicotine patch can help ease withdrawal symptoms for patients who use tobacco. The three clinical practice standards are about enabling nursing staff to take action and help tobacco users manage their withdrawal symptoms.

The Nicotine Withdrawal Protocol and the Registered Nurses Initiated Action also contribute to patient safety. They provide another option for patients who might put themselves at risk by leaving Northern Health grounds to have a smoke. After all, though they seem like distant memories now, winter conditions in the north can be dangerous for anyone, let alone patients who use wheelchairs or have IV poles to deal with.

Creating a healthy environment is essential for the wellness of patients, residents, visitors, and staff who access or work in Northern Health facilities. Northern Health wants to lead by example and provide a healthy environment for everyone where they live, work, and play. The refreshed Smoke Free Grounds policy and the three clinical practice standards are important pieces of creating that healthy environment.

So remember, if you’re a tobacco user who is about to enter a Northern Health facility, the Smoke Free Grounds policy is about everyone’s health! If you need help managing nicotine withdrawal symptoms while in facility, talk to your nurse. There is help available.

Quitting smoking can greatly improve your health and help you live longer. For more information and support, contact HealthLink BC by dialing 8-1-1 or visit QuitNow.

Reg is a licensing officer with Northern Health and has his BA in Health Science. Previously, he worked as a Recreation Therapist with Mental Health and Addictions Services in Terrace as well as a Regional Tobacco Reduction Coordinator. Originally from Revelstoke, Reg enjoys the outdoor activities that Terrace offers, like mountain biking and fishing. Reg also likes playing hockey, working out, and creative writing. He is married and has two sons and believes strongly in a work/life balance as family time is important to him.

Quitting smoking is hard, what’s your story? Share it for your chance to win a Fitbit!

Today we recognize World No Tobacco Day and we can all consider making some changes in our lives towards better health. Tobacco use touches most of us, even non-smokers, as we see people in our lives light up around us and breathe in second-hand smoke. The sad truth is that tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death –more than alcohol, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined.

In recognition of the challenges in quitting, we’re launching a contest where you can share your quit story and be entered to win a Fitbit wireless activity wristband. This can be your personal story quitting (or trying to quit) smoking, or your experience with someone in your life doing so. Your story may encourage someone to quit!

Need some inspiration? Here’s a short quit story from Anthony of Gitwinksihlkw via QuitNow.ca:

I worked in camps at the time, on one of my times off, I got to thinking, why do I have to go so far just to have a smoke, hiding from my nephews and nieces, telling them what I do are bad for them? I got tired of being a hypocrite, so when I returned to camp before Christmas, I just did not bring any cigarettes with me. 4 weeks in camp was the hardest time in years. But I never looked back, over a year later and I feel great. 15 years I smoked, realized I was quitting for the wrong reasons in the past. I needed to quit for myself and not for others.

Nancy is a registered nurse working in Northern Health’s population health team. She often imagines a day when no one in northern British Columbia suffers from the harmful effects of tobacco. In her time off, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially her two little grandchildren! Nancy also enjoys quilting, knitting, crocheting and many other home spun crafts.

If kids didn’t start smoking, the problematic use of tobacco would be a thing of the past before the end of this century!

Kids learn from an early age that tobacco is bad for their health yet every day there are young people in Canada taking their first puffs. Most smokers start using tobacco before their 19th birthday, at an average age of 13. It’s obvious that education about the harmful effects of cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco is not enough to stop kids from trying tobacco.

If you’re a teacher, maybe some of your students started smoking over the summer and they’re now suffering withdrawal in your classroom!

Some teens are persuaded to try tobacco by their peers if they are more influenced by this group than their parents. They may not be aware that the first puffs of a cigarette or a flavoured cigar may lead to a lifetime of nicotine addiction. Three out of four young smokers will continue to smoke into adulthood.

How can you support children and youth in your community to avoid tobacco use?

It only takes a few cigarettes to make changes in the teenage brain, leading to cravings and continued use of tobacco. Even though many teens do not smoke daily, they still have difficulty quitting.

Teachers and parents can support children to avoid tobacco use with conversations about:

Nicotine addiction and how few cigarettes it may take to cause cravings and ongoing tobacco use

Financial costs of tobacco addiction – and it’s not just the cost of the tobacco

You have a role in supporting a tobacco free community! Northern Health supports the cultural and ceremonial use of smoke, tobacco and other legal sacred plants and recognizes the benefits of traditional and spiritual uses can outweigh the potential harms.

Nancy is a registered nurse working in Northern Health’s population health team. She often imagines a day when no one in northern British Columbia suffers from the harmful effects of tobacco. In her time off, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially her two little grandchildren! Nancy also enjoys quilting, knitting, crocheting and many other home spun crafts.

About Us

Northern Health wants to help everyone live a happy and healthy lifestyle. That's why it's our goal to give residents of Northern British Columbia the ideas, tools and services they need to make good health an attainable goal. Read more.